Heavy rains have unleashed floods in suburbs surrounding the Basque region's main city of Bilbao, and rescuers were trying to reach several people trapped in their homes and cars, AP quoted officials as saying Sunday. Water levels in some parts of the seaside resort suburb of Getxo has reached the top of cars. The government has sent police divers to help rescue several people trapped in flooded houses or cars, regional government spokeswoman Maria de Yermo Urquijo said at a news conference in the Basque port of Bilbao. She did not say how many people were stuck. About 64 people have been evacuated, Getxo Mayor Imanol Landa said. Residents were using small boats to move around the town. Roads were closed and many over-ground and subway train services were halted, Basque broadcaster etb said. Getxo and other Bilbao suburbs Algorta, Erandio and Gobela were on alert, with weather forecasts predicting heavy rain through Sunday, the spokeswoman said. The overnight rains caused three rivers, including the Nervion and Gobela around Bilbao, to overflow, causing the floods, Landa said. Rivers were already swollen after many days of rain in May. Landa said the flooding was exacerbated at high tide, which occurs around 15:30 p.m. (1330GMT) in the port city. The Basque meteorological service's Web site said more than 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain had fallen in 15 hours.
